So proud of our Army Ranger!

This weekend our youngest son, Paul, graduated as an Army Ranger at Fort Benning in Georgia, & we couldn’t be prouder. Such an incredible accomplishment—& such a joy to celebrate! Blackhawk helicopters over Victory Pond, rappelling soldiers on the Ranger Tower, live-fire tactical maneuvers & far more were truly amazing.

There’s a special connection to my own historical fiction that makes this even more meaningful. The hero of my novel The Seamstress of Acadie is inspired by the history & founding of Rogers’ Rangers, those legendary 18th-century frontier warriors. Paul has no idea about the connection—he doesn’t read historical romance;)

But honestly? I much prefer real-life Army Rangers.

So much respect for our military, our warriors, & the sacrifices they make to serve & protect our country.

Congratulations, Paul, & those graduating soldiers who endured what is considered to be the most difficult military training in the world. We are SO proud of you!

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Thirty-three years ago today, I married my real-life hero, Randy. So, here’s to many years of marriage, a lifetime of hills & valleys, &  the man who inspired more than a few romantic heroes along the way.

Or should I say, before & after Photoshop?

Happy anniversary to my real-life hero, Randy!

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It’s a joy to hear from readers about my novels. This landed in my inbox recently & made me look at writing differently. A kindred spirit here. So thankful she found my books in the sea of them out there. Thank you, thank you.

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I love Decembers & here are a few delights the month brought:

Bread Maker

Anne Perry novels 

Colonial Williamsburg candle 

Devotional 

Corduroy tote 

Wish I could list all the priceless things that can’t be bought as I’m far more grateful for those!

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I’ve been inspired to share & count my joys by author friend, Stacey Thacker. If you’ve not met Stacey, please visit her website & sign up for her newsletter. You don’t want to miss her insightful spiritual posts, the list of things she’s loving month by month, her edifying books, & so much more! She’s an inspiration to many, me included. Hence, this post. If you’re Christmas shopping, hope this gives you fresh ideas…

OCTOBER JOYS!

Distilled Genius – A Collection of Life-Changing Quotations

Barefoot Dreams Socks

Candlelighter

Everyday Prayers for Christmas

Yardley Royal Red Roses Powder

Kindle case

Christmas for the Heart

See you in November!

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Time is truly flying & somehow writing happens in the midst of it all. I wish I could slow time down & am often glad eternity has no clock. I can’t imagine it but I think it will mean we enjoy these fleeting joys forever! Every summer does have its own story & the blessings are many. American flags. Fresh strawberries. Book stuff. Sunshine. Long walks. Lake days. Good meals. The pool. Our garden. Trips to our unfinished little house down south near our boys. I could write a book about the blessings. There’s always a down side but it’s better not to dwell on it as Philippians 4:8 says.  And then there’s Paul’s words in James … Count it all JOY! And so I am. Hope you are, too.

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England in June is especially beautiful! More on social media if you follow me there!

Tea at Chatsworth was elegance personified. Opulent surroundings is an understatement!

My favorite site is the Oxford Botanical Gardens, circa 1621!

Bath was charming, clean, & so historic! My honeymooning hero & heroine go to Bath in The Indigo Heiress releasing next January. Cover reveals coming soon!

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So, I’m in a place I’ve always longed to see & now that I’m here I can’t help but think of A Heart Adrift! All this sea & sun & sand remind me of Captain Lennox aboard ship & then Esmée waiting for him in her chocolate shop along the waterfront. I’m here with my aunts {& cousins} who’ve been coming to Hilton Head for 40 years!

This island is truly a wondrous place & I’m soaking in the beauty of the beach while on alligator watch near the lagoons. It’s a very different world here than the PNW or even Kentucky. We’re staying in Sea Pines plantation at a ‘villa’ as the locals call it so the private beach is not too crowded. First impressions are many, including that it’s a very clean beach with few shells so imagine my delight at finding these tiny ones! Truly a paradise in a very real sense, even when cloudy like today.

Being a foodie, Hilton Head is a gastronomic wonder! Shrimp & whitefish are faves & abundant here. And then there’s dessert… We began our vacation by jokingly doing a “Key Lime Crawl” across the island but stopped after a slice on 3 successive nights, agreeing that every pie stop is different & delicious! It will be a wrench to leave but we’re already making plans to return next year, hopefully.

Thank you, Hilton Head. You’re epic & inspiring!

*Book photo Credit: Life&Lit

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Soon I’ll be traveling to France, my first trip there. Amazingly enough, I’ll be taking a nonstop flight from Seattle to Paris. That’s a long time in the air so hope to write & read to my heart’s content. This is my very first trip to France & the castle where my upcoming Scottish novel opens. I’d planned to visit pre-pandemic before beginning the novel but … nay! Guess I’ll see how my research lines up with reality. Plus, while there, I’ll be a part of the Lucy Worsley tour, one of my favorite UK historians & maybe yours, too. She brings history to life in such unique ways. Here’s her fun, informative website & also Author Fan Travel for the inspiring itinerary:

Author Fan Travel

Lucy Worsley 

In May I’m off to Scotland with reading friends & author Pepper Basham, another lass with Scottish roots. We’re both at work on novels set there and will be visiting the places in our books as well as other historic sites. Scotland, more than any country I’ve visited, has my heart. Here’s a favorite photo from the Isle of Iona, said to be the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland in AD 563.

When last there I took way too many pictures of tea & confections, including the one below. Not a one of them was chocolate. Sorry, Esmée! Watch for more photos on social media & do a little armchair traveling with me, if you like. I especially love Instagram

I’ll give a writing update soon. Excited to share a new title & book cover, a new website, & other goodness…

Till next time, haste ye back!

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It’s always interesting to look back on the past year in pictures. A brief snapshot of your life in a few significant frames. These are my Top 9 photos from my Instagram account based on the number of likes. I hide likes for my posts as I’m not a numbers person so they mean little to me. I do have to pay attention to how many books are sold, however!

Looking at these Top 9 photos reminds me of what’s truly important. My ministry or calling is books but there are only 3 book-related photos. Most of them are of family & the central event of our year, Wyatt & Faith’s wedding on 4.3.21 There’s even a somewhat vintage photo of our own wedding almost 28 years ago. How times have changed even in picture quality! Our romance began before social media, texting, & all the rest. I’m so grateful yet at the same time I wish we had had the benefit of stellar photography & video to capture those shining moments. The only unrelated photo is from the show Miss Scarlet & the Duke on PBS. Season 2 is coming & I highly recommend it!

So, here’s to 2022. And I’ve decided this coming year I’m going to TAKE MY TIME. I have a hurry habit. I even walk fast. My firefighter son recently encouraged me to slow down. This was after a bad fall over a curb which I was rushing over & didn’t see. That injury reminded me that I’m no longer 20! The only thing I don’t rush is my writing/work. If you read my novels then you know I’m not in a hurry:)

 I’m hoping for a brighter, more Christ-centered 2022 for each of us. We’re not the same as we were in 2020 or 2021. Much has changed. But God is so good at silver-linings. And for those of us who truly know Him, we have a very happy ending💛

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